FIrst time hunt for kids (pigs)

[45/70crazy]

Good Day,

I have 4 sons and they have been begging to go hunting for months. I have purchased Marlin .44 mags for the big kids and Winchester .44 mags for the little guys(lever actions). We have the rifles scoped and zeroed in at 100 yards. They are all experienced range hobbyists, but have never taken game. I have not either.

Before I go any further with hunt plans, I was hoping that someone could point us in the right direction. First, I want their first hunt to be a learning tool to help them develop respect for the sport, and I don't want to take them on a hunt if they are not goint to consume the animals. I have heard from many people that hog meat in not what many say it is. It has been described as "nasty" and other less palatable descriptions.

Some have advised to not hunt pigs with dogs, and best to kill the animal without stress. Can anyone advise about the meat and it's ability to be prepared like farm pork, and are there any hunt organizations in Florida where my sons can have a great, responsible, hunt experience. I would like the hunt to be challenging, not like shooting fish in a barrel. Thanks.

 

[fremont]

First of all, you're a lucky guy, blessed with 4 sons who want to go hunting with their dad. Enjoy & cherish these days!

I've not been in a similar situation, but I would advise using an outfitter and selecting this person carefully, i.e., fully describe what you want to get out of the hunt.....meaning, you are more concerned with having a good initial experience vs. harvesting animals. Some guides are definitely better than others in the teaching dept., and some may be less inclined to take the work, as maybe they get paid on game fees vs. just guiding. If they're worried that the party won't take as many animals, they may want to opt out of taking on the engagement (which is fine). Self-selection as to guides is not a bad thing here.

On the meat front, I have had mixed experience. I'm currently eating on a pig where the sausage is awesome and the ribs/chops/roasts are so-so (on the muddy side). I wish I would have told the butcher to grind the whole thing into sausage. As far as pigs (vs. other large game), I'm going the 100% sausage route from now on, but that's just me. Many folks here have great experience with roasting out, etc. their pigs.

Now, go enjoy your boys.

 

[bayedsolid]

I think it's great you're taking the kids out on a hunt like you're planning. It does seem like a bit of a tough task to take on all at once though. It's a chore many times with just one kid much less four. Maybe you have a buddy that would be interested in going too? That way you could split the group up a bit. You might think about a few trips just plinking around first if you haven't already. It's tough to give advice on how to hunt since I am in California and the terrain and style of hunting has to be quite a bit different. I think the quality of the meat has more to do with what they're feeding on than anything else. I don't care what you are, if you get shot there's gonna be some stress involved before it's all over. Care of the meat afterwords is very important too. Many times you see guys with deer or hogs riding around in the back of a pick-up truck all day before it's even skinned out and that can't be good for meat quality. Hunting hogs with dogs has no affect on the quality of the meat, but unless the dogs are your own, that type of hunt usually doesn't have as much personal satisfaction as finding and taking one on your own. On the flip side, you're chances of killing a hog with dogs is at least a percentage point or two higher than without them.....but that's just my

Good luck.

By the way, how are you holding up with all the storms lately? Looks like you might need a boat to hunt them these days.

 

[45/70crazy]

Thanks for the replies. It is going to be a challenge taking all of the boys. Maybe we should start with squirrels or such. We have been relatively lucky with the hurricanes so far. It just looks like storm after storm is rolling off Africa. I may be fishing off my back porch instead of hunting if the storms don't slow down. Again, thanks for the replies. We'll keep doing our homework. Thanks.

 

[Mel Carter]

45/70, How old are your sons? Both of my boys took hogs this year, one was about 75lbs and the other was about 175lbs. You're in for a lot of fun!

In my opinion, the best eating hog is one that's under 175lbs or so. I've killed hogs that were over 200lbs and didn't like how they tasted.

Hogs spoil fast, so you need to get them cleaned, skinned and hung in a cool place or take them to a meat locker as soon as possible. If you take good care of the hogs after the shot, wild hog meat is awesome.

The other thing that I always do, is debone the meat. My uncle use to tell me that in time, the bone in, will make the meat tast gamey. So I debone all my wild game.

Hope this helps, good luck and have some fun

P.S. I have a lot of family in Jacksonville, I've only been there once, we went cruising done Fernadina beach ( I think that's how you spell it) Know any Carters in that town?

 

[45/70crazy]

Thanks for the info. My boys are 6, 9, 13, and 20. They are all excited to go, and the 6 year old thinks we are going to hunt dragons. Anyway.........I am trying to put a trip together and hoping to make the trip more of an adventure. If we take a hog or two,, that will be great. I won't be shooting myself, so I am hoping that the boys will get a shot or two. I guess I should have a butcher lined up in the event we hit some luck. They are all good shots and the 13 year old can hit anything, and he looks across the gun with the far eye. I have only been here for two years, but I have a Carter from Jax that manages one of my offices. She does have a rather large family. nice gal. I guess the best prospect would be to get a couple 50-100 pound hogs. We are not looking for any trophy's and I imagine they would be happy with a piglet. Thanks again, and maybe someone will write about any luck in any state parks or good private hunts. Take care.

Paul

 

[Gregg S.]

Keep up the good work,the kids a the furture of our great sport of hunting,i have 2 girls and right now they love to hunt with me,12 and 10 i just hope it last,they still think daddy is superman,and thats fine with me.It just dont get any better than that.

Gregg